Swat journalist gets death threat

JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 11 July 2013

Haroon Siraj, a journalist in Swat, has received death threats from an official of the Water and Power Development Authority. This incident underscores the ongoing risks faced by reporters in the region despite official claims of press freedom.

Summary

MINGORA: Journalists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continue to receive threats from certain quarters contrary to claims by successive provincial governments that freedom of press has been ensured.

The Nation and Waqt TV correspondent Haroon Siraj is the latest to be threatened allegedly by an official of the Water and Power Development Authority in Mingora, Swat.

Reports say the official not only warned the journalist to stop filing critical stories but also threatened to kill him.

Haroon is the son of journalist Siraj ud Din who was killed by the Taliban in 2008 in Swat Valley.

At first Haroon did not take the threats seriously, but on Tuesday he says he received death threat from an anonymous caller and realized his life was really in danger.

Syed Imtiaz Hussain, Deputy Commissioner Swat, Farrukh Attique, Assistant Commissioner and Fazal Hakim, member of KPK provincial Assembly have all been informed.

The deputy commissioner is said to have taken steps to resolve the matter.

Key Points

Haroon Siraj is a correspondent for The Nation and Waqt TV.
He was warned to stop critical reporting or face lethal consequences.
The threats intensified after receiving an anonymous call.
Haroon's father was also a journalist who was killed by the Taliban in 2008.
Local authorities, including the Deputy Commissioner, have been alerted to the situation.

Relevant Topics

Swat

Journalist

Death Threats

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Haroon Siraj

Press Freedom

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